Gigi Hadid among celebs honouring designer Virgil Abloh

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Gigi Hadid has paid a heartfelt tribute to late fashion visionary Virgil Abloh, who lost his secret battle with cancer on Sunday morning.

The model took to Instagram to pay her respects to the Off-White founder and former Louis Vuitton style king, explaining she was “heartbroken” by the loss of “my dear friend”.

Calling Abloh “a friend to the world”, Gigi added, “He was 1 of 1.

“His kindness and energetic generosity left a lasting impression on every life he touched – he made everyone feel seen and special. He will be deeply missed, cherished, and celebrated by me and all the people and industries that have been lucky enough to work around & know the true supernova behind this man.

“I picture him now like our Mickey Mouse… forever with us, forever adored, forever magical, forever guiding us with that special Virgil FUN; I’m sure that’s how he wanted to be remembered, but still it will never be the same without him in the room.”

Hadid also posted a photo slideshow of herself with the late fashion guru, and added: “You will continue to inspire me every day, V. I feel blessed and honored by every moment. Rest Easy, my friend. You are so loved. You were the difference. As we always said… ‘See you somewhere, soon.’

“Sending my deepest condolences, light, and strength to (Abloh’s wife) Shannon, their kids, and his whole family.”

Drake, Justin Timberlake, BTS, Offset, Kelly Rowland, Busta Rhymes, and Bruno Mars have also added their tributes to Abloh via social media.

“My plan is to touch the sky 1000 more times for you… love you eternally brother thank you for everything,” Drake captioned photos on Instagram of himself with Abloh, while Timberlake added: “What can you say when a force like @virgilabloh is taken too soon? You gave the world so much, in so little time. And created with intensity… knowing better than the rest of us that life is short, but anything is possible. I’m honoured to have known you. Thank you for sharing your gift with us.”

Meanwhile, BTS tweeted: “RIP Virgil Abloh, you will be missed. It was an honor to work with you. A true creative genius.”